What kind of people come to the fore in Taiwan's local politics? In this issue SINORAMA introduces four winners in the recent local elections. Their backgrounds and experience give a pretty good idea of what Taiwan's modern local officials are like.

Tsai Ming-yao, Mayor of Kaohsiung

At thirty-three, Tsai Ming-yao is the youngest mayor ever elected in Taiwan. He was a surprise winner in the campaign for the Kaohsiung mayoralty, as his opponent, Yu Chen Yeh-ying was an old hand around Kaohsiung Prefecture and widely known and respected. In the end, only three thousand votes separated the candidates, but Tsai was safely in.

Tsai is not a stranger himself to politics of Kaohsiung Prefecture. A local boy, before becoming mayor he served for eight years on the Kaohsiung Prefecture Council. Respected by his colleagues for his patient and cautious approach to problems, prior to the election he was not considered colorful enough to win the public's favor. However, when the votes were counted, there he was in office and the better known Yu Chen Yeh-ying was out.

Since taking office two months ago, Tsai has moved slowly and cautiously. As a symbol of his farming background, he moved a farm house bench into his office. "Most of my supporters are farmers" he said, "and I certainly never wish to forget my own origins or who are my true supporters."

More important perhaps in the long run, one of Tsai's first moves was to dismiss more than seventy redundant employees in the local government. His enemies said that he kicked them out to make room for his own friends, but this has not proven to be true. The seventy have never been replaced. Tsai points out that unless they are checked, government bureaucracies tend to grow and to become burdensome on the public funds. "It won't be that way in my administration," he says. In his remaining forty-six months in office, he will have continuous opportunities to show both his sincerity and his toughness.

Hsu His-hsien, Mayor of Chiayi

If Tsai Ming-yao is the youngest person elected mayor, Hsu His-hsien, the new mayor of Chiayi, must be the oldest. She is seventy-four years of age and as lively as ever. She says, "I had made up my mind to retire, but when the election law was changed to allow people over seventy to run, I decided to give it one more try." In the election, she took home seventy seven percent of all votes evidence of the enduring respect she has won in a long political career.

As mayor, Hsu doesn't expect to make many radical changes. Her predecessor's unfinished plans to broaden roads in downtown Chiayi and to make new parks are also on her agenda. Besides that, she believes the eastern part of Chiayi is over-developed. She plans to push the city's new development westward through the introduction of new sewers and a new garbage collection system. "People are like flies," she says. "They follow the sewers wherever they go."

Shao King-fong, Fong Ling County Chief

Shao King-fong is the first woman to be elected a County Chief in Hwalien Prefecture. At fifty-six, mother of four, Shao is well known in the Hwalien area. Her husband served as county chief in the Fong Ling area for many years, and she herself served on the Hualien council for eighteen years.

One interesting fact about Shao King-fong is that she had to overcome a language barrier in the Hwalien area. She is a Shanghai person, and when she came to Taiwan she couldn't understand the Hakka dialect prevalent around Hualien. The Hakka, who are reputed to be quite clannish anyway, didn't understand her Shanghai talk and they observed her long and carefully before they gave her their support. "Now," she says, "it's all right. My Hakka friends recognize that I have never made any money out of politics, and many of them came to my aid in the last campaign."

What motivates Shao King-fong? She explains that public service can become addictive. "There is so much to be done," she says," and now at this time of my life I know what the common people of my area really want. I think I can help them."

Liu Chu-che, Tien Chung County Chief

Liu Chu-che is not a native of Changhua Prefecture where Tien Chung is located. He is a Hunanese who came to Taiwan after the communist revolt and served as an army officer until discharged in 1973. Even today people don't understand his Hunan accent too well, and after twenty years in Tien Chung, his local accent is not of the best. That didn't seem to make too much difference in the election, though, for he won by eight hundred and fifty five votes over the local incumbent.

Liu Chu-che doesn't think it strange that an "outsider" can win a local election. "After all," he says, "at fifty three, I've lived over thirty years in Tien Chung. My wife is a Taiwanese, and all my children have been born and brought up here." He thinks that Taiwanese--mainlander differences have been greatly exaggerated. "People are not so dumb," he says. "They know if you are sincere and willing to work. If so, they're willing to elect you."

So there they are--four individuals among the people elected in recent local elections. Like their other colleagues, they conform to no special pattern. Their lives and their styles are as varied as democracy itself.

[Picture Caption]

Left: Tsai Min-yao (center) with wife and father during campaign. Right: Sitting on his farm bench, Tsai signs his first administrative order.

1. Chiayi Mayor Hsu Shi-hsien, a veteran politician. 2. Hsu running for Chiayi Mayor in 1968. A friendly handshake with opponent Tu Te-chi, Chiayi Prefecture Mayor of the time. 3. Shao King-fong, the first female county chief in Hwalien.

Left: Shao King-fong folk dancing with a local women's club. Right: Liu Chu-che said he won because "people knew I was willing to work."

Sitting on his farm bench, Tsai signs his first administrative order.

Chiayi Mayor Hsu Shi-hsien, a veteran politician.

Hsu running for Chiayi Mayor in 1968. A friendly handshake with opponent Tu Te-chi, Chiayi Prefecture Mayor of the time.

Shao King-fong, the first female county chief in Hwalien.

Shao King-fong folk dancing with a local women's club.

Liu Chu-che said he won because "people knew I was willing to work.".